Karl's Last Surprise
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: Set after "If...". Before the plane crash, Karl left Bree with one last surprise. She's shocked by the news.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Desperate Housewives and never will. No copyright infringement intended.

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When Bree started feeling sick three weeks after the plane crash, she figured it was the stress finally getting to her. The love of her life was dead after all, and she was stuck in a loveless marriage out of guilt. Taking care of Orson was exhausting her.

However, when she found herself getting emotional over bburning popcorn/b, Bree knew something was up. She had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind about what this was, but wasn't sure. Yes, Lynette had got pregnant at forty-nine with twins, but she was ififty-three/i years old! What she was thinking couldn't possibly be it.

Bree ran to the grocery store out of town to buy a few pregnancy tests. She couldn't believe she was even considering the possibility. She was too old to be pregnant!

While Orson napped in the bedroom, Bree waited for the results of the three pregnancy tests she had bought. "Come on, be negative. Just be the flu," she whispered to herself.

When it was time to look, Bree's nerves got to her. She reached for one of the tests, but quickly pulled her hand away. She worked up the courage to look less than five minutes later. All three tests were giving her the same result – Bree Hodge was definitely pregnant. She was having a baby at fifty-three years old!

Bree sat down on the toilet and began to sob. What was she going to do? She had never expected to get pregnant at her age. The baby's father was dead. She was still married to a man she didn't love anymore. "Please tell me what to do. I don't know how to handle this," Bree pleaded. She wished Karl was with her right now. He would calm her down and help her.

"Bree, I need you!" Orson called from the bedroom. He was letting his wife take care of him because she wanted to. He still loved her, but held no more illusions about their marriage. He and Bree were still heading towards divorce.

"Coming!" Bree called back. She took a deep breath to calm herself down and stop the sobs. She needed to pretend that she was fine. Bree also needed to call her doctor and make an appointment to discuss this.

When Bree walked into Orson's room, the mask was in place. She tried to pretend that nothing was wrong and that everything was okay. Far from it, actually, but Bree wasn't about to let Orson see that side of her.

"I'm hungry. Can I have a grilled cheese sandwich?" Orson questioned as he maneuvered himself into his wheelchair. He didn't notice that Bree had been crying, even though her eyes were puffy.

"Of course you can!" Bree plastered a fake smile on her face and headed towards the kitchen to start making Orson dinner. Hopefully, cooking would take her mind off the news she had just received and was still in denial about.

"You look pale," Orson suddenly observed as he followed her into the kitchen. She had been acting odd lately, and he had no clue why.

"I'm fine," Bree lied. Everything was okay. She was probably just going through menopause or something. The doctor would set her straight after she went to an appointment she still needed to make.

Orson shrugged and wheeled into the living room to watch some TV. If Bree said she was fine, then she was fine. "I hope you go the right kind of cheese, Bree!"

Bree struggled not to burst into sobs again. Karl wouldn't have believed her lie, and he'd have asked her what was wrong. She had been comparing Karl and Orson for a long time now. It wasn't fair to either of them, but it just kept happening. "Get ahold of yourself, Bree. You don't need to fall apart now," she told herself.

"Thank you, Bree." Orson took the plate off Bree, and continued to watch TV. He didn't notice that she wasn't eating.

"You're welcome, Orson." Bree was too nauseated to even think of eating right now, so she decided to call her doctor and make an appointment. "Yes, I can come in at 2:00," she informed the receptionist, checking her calendar. After hanging up, Bree sat down on her stool and just stared at the wall. She needed someone to talk to. Keeping this a secret (If she was even pregnant after all) would kill Bree.

"What are you doing?" Orson asked when Bree got up and headed out the door. Bree hadn't gone out and left like this since he had returned from the hospital.

"Going to see Susan. I'll be back later. Don't worry!" Susan was the first person that Bree had thought of talking to about this. Lynette was pregnant, but she and Tom were still dealing with the loss of one of the twins, Patrick. She didn't want to bother them with this.

Bree pushed the doorbell a few times until Susan answered. "What's up?" Susan questioned. She could tell that her friend was clearly upset about something. It was probably something to do with Karl. Susan knew that the two had loved each.

"I need to talk to you," Bree informed her and dissolved into sobs. She hoped she wasn't like this for the next few months, if she was even pregnant at all. The receptionist had been surprised about why Bree called, but it seems like she really hadn't believed it.

"Come on in, sweetie." Susan led Bree to the couch. Mike and MJ were playing a game on the floor. When Mike saw how upset Bree was, he ushered his son into the kitchen to give the two women some privacy.

"Thank you," Bree sobbed. She couldn't exactly get the words out yet, but was glad that Susan was there for her.

"What's wrong?" Susan rubbed Bree's back to calm her down. This definitely seemed like a Karl thing to her. She had been watching her friend like a hawk for weeks, and it was obvious that Karl's death had devastated Bree.

Bree continued to cry for a few more minutes before she was able to work up the courage to tell Susan what was going on. "I haven't been feeling well for a few days. At first I blamed it on Karl's death, but I had a nagging feeling in the back of my head that it was something else. So I went to the store and bought three pregnancy tests. I figured they'd all come out negative, but they were positive. I'm pregnant! At fifty-three years old, I'm knocked up and having the love of my life's baby. And he's dead!" It was still so hard to believe.

Susan stared at her friend in shock. Bree was pregnant with Karl's baby? And to top it off, she was in his fifties! She pushed her shock back to take care of the clearly upset Bree. "Oh, sweetie. I'm so sorry. What are you going to do?"

Bree shrugged. "I don't even know! I made an appointment with my doctor tomorrow. I'm probably overreacting and I'm not even pregnant. I'm stuck taking care of a man I no longer love out of guilt. And I don't know what to do."

Susan pulled her in for a hug. "Do you want me to go with you tomorrow?" Luckily for her, she had the day off work. And being there for Bree was one of her priorities right need. She clearly needed her help.

"If you want to. I don't want to be alone." Bree hated being this emotional about this, but she couldn't help it. Her emotions had been out of whack since Karl's death. Maybe that was the reason for all three positive pregnancy tests.

Susan helped Bree return home about an hour later, and vowed to watch out for her if she was pregnant. She'd do it anyway, since Bree was worrying her. She had been off ever since learning the news of Karl's death. "I think we're going to be seeing a lot more of Bree than we usually do in the next few months," she informed Mike.

"Why?" asked a confused Mike. He had found out about Bree and Karl after he had died, and the pairing still confused him.

"You wouldn't understand. And Bree probably doesn't want anyone to know yet." Of course, Bree was in deep denial about possibly be pregnant, despite the three positive pregnancy tests. Susan still had a hard time believing it.

"Whatever." Mike and Susan read a few stories to MJ before he fell asleep, and the two headed for their own bedrooms.

"What took you so long?" Orson asked when Bree entered the house. He was upset that she had been gone for so long.

Bree glared at him, but then faked smiled at her husband. "No reason. Susan and I just had some girl talk for awhile. Nothing that concerns you." She hated this so much.

Orson rolled his eyes. Bree and her girl talked annoyed him sometimes. He returned to his bedroom, while Bree decided to bake some brownies to calm down.

After finishing up the dishes and putting away the brownies, Bree was so exhausted she fell asleep on the couch.

She woke up feeling nauseated. The redhead rushed to the bathroom to throw up. She stayed there for a few hours, before remembering that crackers curbed nausea.

"Do you have the flu?" Orson was slightly concerned about his wife. He didn't want to get sick himself. That wouldn't be good right now, especially since he had just come home from the hospital.

"I think so. I made an appointment with my doctor today," Bree told him. She munched on a cracker. The nausea definitely seemed to be fading now. She was grateful for remembering that crackers helped.

"Good." Orson wheeled himself out of the kitchen to go do whatever it is he wanted to do. Bree really didn't care what he did.

At 1:30, Susan picked Bree up and the two women headed to the doctor's office. "Thank you for taking me," Bree told Susan.

"You're welcome. And it's no big deal. I want to be there for you." Susan would do her best to help Bree if she was pregnant.

Bree smiled at her, and the two entered the office. Bree signed in, and waited to be called back. She was extremely nervous. And still nauseated, but the packet of crackers in her pocket were helping with that a little.

Susan followed Bree into a room about fifteen minutes after they arrived. "So you got three positive pregnancy tests?" asked the doctor.

Bree nodded. "Yes, I did. But I'm fifty-three. I'm pre-menopausal. I don't even know how this is possible."

"It's rare, but can definitely happen. I'll do a few tests, just to see if you are pregnant. If so, I'll make you an appointment with a high risk obstetrician."

A little while hour, Bree had her answer. "So am I pregnant?" she asked. She was terrified to hear the answer, but Susan grabbed Bree's hand to calm her down.

The doctor nodded. "Congratulations, Mrs. Van de Kamp. You're definitely pregnant. I believe you're about four weeks along."

Bree stared at him. "I'm really pregnant?" She still couldn't believe it. This was definitely Karl's baby. She and Orson hadn't had sex in a long time.

"Yes, you are. I'll make you an appointment with a high risk obstetrician immediately, to get in you as soon as possible. This pregnancy will be closely monitored. You and the baby will be taken care of."

Susan led Bree out to the car. She was also in shock. She couldn't believe both Lynette and Bree were pregnant, especially considering their ages. "I'll be there with you every step of the way. I'll even be with you in the delivery room." She could help Bree out while she was in labor. It wasn't that big of a deal.

When Bree returned home, she was too tired and nauseated to cook. She ordered pizza for Orson, and then went up to her bedroom to take a nap.

Bree was going to have a lot to deal with in the next eight months.

She had a long road ahead of her.

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I did some research before starting this fic, and it is possible to conceive naturally at Bree's age. I hope you like this fic. I finished writing it, so there should be an update everyday. This is chapter one of six.


	2. Chapter 2

In her eighth week of pregnancy, Bree Hodge could no longer hide it from Orson. She couldn't pass it off at the flu anymore. The nausea was coming in waves and all times of the day now. The crackers helped a little, but not as much as they had at the beginning of the pregnancy. She hadn't felt this way during her pregnancies with Danielle and Andrew. Bree blamed her nausea this time around on the fact that this was Karl's baby.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Orson questioned. He had been getting ready to watch the evening news before Bree told him she wanted to have a talk. He figured this was about a divorce. She hadn't said a word about it in awhile, but that was mostly because she was sick. Was she really sick? Was it something like cancer?

Bree took a deep breath and sat down on the couch. Actually talking to someone other than Susan about this was terrifying. "This is going to surprise you. It surprised ime/i, actually. I still can't believe this is actually happening to me." She was aware she was rambling, but couldn't stop herself. This was definitely scary to talk about.

"Bree, what is it? You can tell me." Orson was worried for her health now. He hoped it wasn't cancer. That would be really bad.

She closed her eyes and blinked back tears. "I'm eight weeks pregnant. The baby is Karl's. I'm so sorry. I never expected this to happen, especially since I'm fifty-three years old. The pregnancy is being closely monitored and I'm going to a high risk obstetrician. I'm terrified, but I'm going to raise this baby. If nothing happens, of course." Bree was freaking out about all the risks her doctor had told her about. She was making sure to be careful.

Orson had definitely not been expecting that. How was he supposed to react to the fact that his wife was pregnant with another man's baby? He hated Karl Mayer with a passion. His death hadn't changed that fact. "What am I supposed to do with this information, Bree?"

Bree shrugged. "I don't know. I figured you should know," she answered tearfully. Crying was one of her number one emotions these days. Bree blamed her stupid mood swings.

"Give me some time to think." Orson didn't want to upset her too badly, but he was still going to file for divorce. He didn't want to be with her anymore, especially since she had gotten pregnant by Karl. Orson still loved her, but this was too much for him.

"Okay," Bree agreed. She got up and went into the kitchen. She grabbed a piece of chocolate off the counter and began to eat it. Her cravings were also in full force, too. After she finished, the redhead called Susan.

"How'd he take it?" Susan questioned. She was still really worried about Bree. The first ultrasound was coming up soon, and Susan couldn't wait to go with her.

"He said he needs time to think. He's going to leave me. Oddly enough, I don't care. Susan, I'm only staying with him out of guilt now. I don't love him anymore. Karl was my soul mate. It's so hard without him." Bree had dreams almost every night where Karl survived. He would have been thrilled about the baby.

"You know that all of us will be there for you, Bree. You're not going to be alone." Susan smiled as her husband walked by. Mike also knew about Bree's pregnancy, but that's because he had caught Susan and Bree having a conversation about it two weeks ago. He had agreed to keep it a secret.

"Thank you so much, Susan. I don't know what I'd do without you." Bree was so grateful to her friend for all the help she had been receiving since Karl's death and the pregnancy announcement.

"You're welcome again, Bree. Don't worry about it." Susan and Bree hung up the phone a few minutes later.

Bree sat down on the couch. She wanted to plan the nursery, but it was still too early in the pregnancy. She could miscarry, especially considering her age. There was so many things that could get wrong. She just wanted to make sure that everything was okay before she started to plan anything.

Two days later, Orson had finally thought things through and made Bree sit down on a chair so they could talk. "I'm filing for divorce. Bree, I can't be with you anymore. I still love you, but you cheated on me with a man I hate and got pregnant. I can't forgive you. I'm sorry. I'm getting the guys to help me move, and I'll be out of your way by tomorrow."

"I can understand that. For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen." Bree felt relief for the first time in a long time. She was sad that her marriage was ending, but it wasn't unexpected. She had known that Orson wouldn't react well to the pregnancy.

"I know, Bree. Good luck with your pregnancy and the baby. I wish you the best." Orson kissed her, and then went off to do whatever is what he needed to do.

Three days later, Bree was alone in her house. Andrew was still working with her, but it wasn't the same. The fact that she was going to be the single mother of a baby again was terrifying. Raising Benjamin for the first two years of his life had been hard, but her friends had helped her. Would they help her this time around?

"You okay, Mom?" questioned a concerned Andrew. He was worried about his mother. She had been depressed for a few months now.

"Yeah, I think I'm fine." Bree was secretly thrilled that Orson was gone, but she still missed Karl. She wanted him back so badly. He would never be able to meet the baby. Julie and Evan missed their father so much. Evan was living with Karl's parents, since his mother was nowhere in sight. Bree visited him occasionally. She loved and adored Karl's kids.

"You'll tell me if you aren't?" Andrew just wanted his mom to be happy again. That had been impossible for a long time.

"Of course I will." Bree wasn't telling anyone about her pregnancy until she was sure that everything was okay. She was waiting until the first trimester was over to tell people that she was pregnant. It just seemed like the safe thing to do.

Andrew hugged his mom and then left. He was going back home to his husband. He loved working with his mom, but she had been really emotional lately. It was freaking him out.

A few hours later, it was time for Bree's first ultrasound. She was going to be able to see her baby, and that excited her. She was still terrified of something being wrong with the pregnancy or baby, but she pushed her fear back because of the excitement.

Susan picked Bree up, and the two made their way to the obstetrician's office. The two women were called back twenty minutes later.

"I'm scared," Bree reluctantly admitted to her friend. She didn't know what she would have done if Susan hadn't come with her.

"It's okay to be scared," Susan assured her. She smiled at Bree, hoping that she could calm her down a little bit.

A few minutes later, the ultrasound machine was turned on. "There's your baby, Mrs. Van de Camp. Congratulations," Dr. Haldermen told her.

Bree burst into tears at the screen in front of her. This was actually real to her now. She was having a baby. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything looks fine right now, but we'll be running some tests as you get further along. Would you like a picture?"

Bree nodded. "Please." She was going to put the picture next to Danielle and Andrew's ultrasounds. The first picture was always important.

When Bree returned home, she couldn't stop staring at the ultrasound picture. This was her third child, her miracle baby. She was so grateful for Karl for giving her this gift. She still wished he was here with her, though. It wasn't the same with Susan helping her. Bree was basically doing this on her own.

Bree had a lot to do in the next seven months.


	3. Chapter 3

In Bree's eleventh week of pregnancy, someone other than Susan and Mike learned that she was pregnant. Bree had been visiting the Scavos and their newborn daughter Peyton when she became nauseated and had to rush to the bathroom. "I'm sorry. I haven't been feeling well," she told Lynette after leaving the bathroom.

Lynette smiled at her. "I have a week old baby in there. You think I don't know what's going on with you, Bree? How far along are you?" It didn't matter to her that Bree was forty-three. She had gotten pregnant at forty-nine. It wasn't that big of a deal to Lynette.

Bree sighed. She couldn't lie her way out of this, especially since Lynette had just given birth. "I'm eleven weeks. It was a surprise, but a pleasant one."

"Is it Karl's? Is that why Orson left?" Lynette and Gaby had learned of Bree and Karl's affair after his death. They had been surprised by it.

Bree nodded. "It's Karl's baby. Orson left because he couldn't forgive me. I'm going to be a single mother at fifty-three years old." It was nice to talk to someone other than Susan (or Mike, when she wasn't around.) about her pregnancy.

"Congratulations. Maybe the babies will be able to play together." Lynette gave her a hug, and the two went into the living room to play with Peyton.

The next day, Bree had a wedding to cater. She was exhausted an hour in, but that was normal now. She was working alone, especially since Katherine was still committed. She wouldn't be back for awhile, if ever.

"You need a new partner," Susan informed her. Bree probably couldn't handle all of this work by herself. It was hard enough without adding in the fact that she was pregnant.

"I'll be fine. I'm okay, Susan." Bree didn't want anyone to treat her differently. She could handle the business by herself.

The next night, Bree sat down on the couch and put in a movie. She wanted to relax, and a movie seemed like the perfect idea. It was nice to actually relax for a change.

She fell asleep watching a different movie. When she woke up, it was still dark out. Bree checked the time, and it was only 4:30. She decided to cook a little bit. Since it was the weekend, she would go over and visit with the Delfinos. They had become closer in the past few months.

Around 8:30AM, Bree walked over to the Delfino house. MJ was usually up early, and Susan had just called her to come over.

"Hey. You feeling okay today?" Susan questioned. She was making sure that Bree took her prenatal vitamins and was healthy.

Bree nodded. "No morning sickness today. First time in a few months. It was wonderful." Not cleaning the toilet had been a welcome surprise today.

"That's great. Mike is making us breakfast. What do you want today?" Susan didn't want her going hungry.

Bree shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. What do you have here?" She had a really bad craving for an omelet right now.

"Eggs, toast, and you have to ask Mike about what else we have," Susan answered. She was going for some toast herself.

Bree walked into the kitchen. "Mike, if it's not a problem, can I have an omelet, please? I'm craving one so badly right now." She couldn't wait to see what else she craved. This was Karl's baby inside her, after all. It wasn't a surprise her cravings had kicked in already.

"Not a problem at all. I'll get started on it now." Mike really didn't mind all that much that his wife's friend was over pretty much all the time. She only talked to Susan and Lynette about her pregnancy. And since Lynette and Tom were busy with their newborn, Bree had only Susan to talk to about it.

"Thank you, Mike." Bree, Susan, and MJ settled in to have a conversation. Bree loved talking to the little boy.

"You're welcome, Bree." Mike went into the kitchen to start breakfast.

Within half an hour, Bree and the Delfinos were eating together. Bree didn't even feel nauseated after eating. It was nice. "I should go. Andrew and Alex are coming over later. I'm making us dinner."

"Stay for awhile. You have plenty of time to cook dinner," Susan said. She wished Bree would just relax a little bit. Especially now, because the pregnancy was so high risk.

"I'll stay until 1:00. The boys are coming over around 2:00," Bree decided. She was going to tell everyone about her pregnancy next week. She had even invited Danielle, Benjamin, and her husband over for dinner. Bree had promised to be good and not criticize. She just wanted the day to go well. Hopefully, it wouldn't end in tears.

At 1:00PM exactly, Bree left the Delfinos' and returned to her own home. She started to cook dinner for her son and son-in-law. She hoped they liked it.

"You're looking really good today," Andrew told his mother. This was the first time she looked happy in a long time.

"Thank you. I feel good today." Bree hoped the morning sickness was done for good now. This pregnancy was taking a lot out of her. She hadn't felt this run down during her pregnancies with Andrew and Danielle, but she had been younger then.

"That's really great." Alex was happy for his mother-in-law. She had been depressed for months now, and Bree seemed to be making a breakthrough finally.

Andrew and Alex returned home after dinner was over. The two men helped Bree with the dishes, since she got tired pretty early. Andrew couldn't figure out why, but Alex thought he had figured it out. He was a doctor, after all. He wasn't going to say anything until Bree was ready, however.

The next week, Bree reached the twelfth week of her pregnancy. She was out of the first trimester. Everything seemed to be going well, and Bree couldn't keep it a secret any longer. The pregnant fifty-three year old decided to have everyone over to tell them her news.

The first thing Bree did was pull Julie and Evan away from everyone else. She didn't want them finding out with everyone else. Their father was dead, and it didn't seem fair to either one of them. Evan took the news that he was going to be a big brother well.

Julie burst into tears and hugged her. "I'll be there for you and the baby, Mrs. Van de Kamp. I miss my daddy, and the fact that you're having his baby makes me happy for some reason. Congratulations."

"Thank you, sweetie." Bree was crying herself and she hugged her. Julie could have been her stepdaughter, and she wouldn't have minded.

Bree, Julie, and Evan went back into the living room a few minutes later. Both girls had calmed down. Bree smiled at her guests. "I have some surprising news to tell everyone."

Susan and Lynette shot her encouraging smiles. They were thrilled that Bree was finally telling everyone about her pregnancy.

"What is it?" asked a curious Danielle. She didn't know why her mother had invited everyone over. There was no reason for it, actually. Her mother probably just wanted something to criticize her over again.

Bree smiled. "You all know that I had an affair with Karl Mayer. We were even thinking about getting married. But that all changed a few months ago. You know why. Anyway, I found out some shocking news about two months ago. I'm pregnant. Twelve weeks along. I just finished the first trimester. It's a shock, especially at my age, but I'm going to raise this baby."

The Solis's, Tom, Bob, Lee, Danielle, and Andrew all stared at her in shock. None of them could believe what they had just heard.

Danielle was the first to recover. "But you're fifty-three years old," she pointed out. She couldn't believe her mother was having a baby. That wasn't what she had been expecting tonight.

"I know I'm fifty-three, Danielle. My obstetrician told me that these things can happen sometimes. My pregnancy is high risk, but as long as I take it easy, everything should be fine. We're both perfectly healthy now, so the pregnancy will hopefully progress normally." Bree was thrilled that her secret was finally out.

Gaby recovered next. She smiled at her friend. "Congratulations, Bree. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call." She was determined to be there for Bree.

"Congratulations, Mom. I'm happy for you," Andrew told her. He got up and hugged his mother. He couldn't wait to meet his new sibling.

Susan offered to do the dishes for Bree so the pregnant woman could relax. Nobody wanted her to work too hard, especially now.

Later that night, Bree fell asleep on the couch. Everyone had gone home except for Andrew, Alex, and Danielle. Benjamin was fast asleep, and Danielle's husband was in bed. Andrew covered his mother up.

Bree was basically on a rollercoaster. The rest of her pregnancy would not go by so smoothly.


	4. Chapter 4

In Bree's fifth month of pregnancy, something changed overnight. She had been happy for several months, but then one day she wasn't. Nobody could figure out why the pregnant woman's attitude had changed out of the blue.

Susan, Gaby, and Lynette decided to confront her about it if her depression continued. All three women were worried about Bree.

Bree missed Karl Mayer a lot. For months now, she had been trying to pretend that the loss wasn't affecting her. She was trying to remain strong, especially because of the fact that she had something left from Karl. The baby was coming in a few months, and she wished he was here with her.

As the baby gave a hard kick, Bree headed towards the steps and sat down on them. She hoped she was able to get up off them. Bree wasn't too big yet, but she still worried about that.

"Karl, I miss you so much. Why did you have to leave me here alone? I want you back. You should be here with me, happy about the baby. I know you would be. You loved Julie and Evan so much. It's not the same. You were it for me, Karl. I don't want to do anymore." Bree burst into sobs. She had been trying to hold them back, but the effort was futile. When Rex died, she had been devastated. But her grief then was nothing compared to the grief she felt over Karl.

Bree sat on the steps and cried for hours over the man she would never see again. Once she was done, she went into the kitchen and started to clean. Cleaning would take her mind off of Karl. It had worked before.

Bree concentrated on cleaning up the kitchen , even as Baby Mayer repeatedly kicked her. This was definitely Karl's baby. Despite the fact that she was able to, Bree didn't want to find out the sex of the baby until the delivery room. It was much more fun that way.

Gaby, Carlos, Juanita, and Celia showed up at the house around 5:30. They were eating dinner with Bree. The girls on Wisteria Lane had decided a few months ago to never let Bree be alone for dinner. She shouldn't have to be alone right now. They'd help her out as much as they could.

"How are you feeling, Bree?" questioned Gaby. She wasn't about to let the pregnant woman do too much work around the house. She hated it herself, but this was still a high risk pregnancy for Bree.

"I'm okay," Bree lied. She wasn't about to tell them she still missed Karl. And on top of that, the divorce from Orson was going to be finalized tomorrow. This was potentially the last time she would ever see him.

"If you're sure." Gaby wasn't convinced, however. She made a mental note to keep an eye on her. She wasn't about to let Bree fall into a rut.

"When do you want us to get started on the nursery?" Carlos, Tom, and Mike had offered to help Bree decorate the nursery. She was grateful to them for it, and had accepted their offer.

"Any time is fine. It doesn't matter to me, as long as it's finished before the baby arrives," Bree answered. She was still worried that something might happen to the baby, and didn't want to jinx anything. What if something went wrong with the baby and she lost it? This was a perfectly valid fear, especially considering that Lynette had lost Patrick.

"Okay. I'll talk to the boys and I think we can get started this weekend," Carlos answered.

Gaby, Lynette, and Susan had gone with her to pick up a crib. It was still in the box, waiting to bet set up. The bassinet was already in Bree's room, waiting to be used.

Later that night, when she was finally alone again, Bree lost it again. She curled up in a ball as best as she could and began sobbing in her bed. She wanted Karl next to her. He would know what to do when she was acting irrational.

"Karl, I can't even think of a name. I'm too terrified. What if something goes wrong? This is why I need you here. You'd be able to calm me down." Bree eventually cried herself to sleep. When she woke up in the morning, she cried over Karl again. It was all she seemed to be able to do lately.

Susan found her crying when she came over for breakfast. Bree tried to pass it off as her hormones, but she wasn't convinced. "What's wrong, sweetie?" Susan wasn't about to leave the pregnant woman alone. Bree needed her right now.

"Nothing," Bree tried to lie. She didn't want to talk to Susan about this. Susan had loved Karl once, but their marriage had still failed.

"Bree, tell me what's wrong before you have to go to the lawyer's office." Susan wasn't going to let this go.

Bree sighed and tried to hold back more tears. She failed. "I miss Karl. I want him back, Susan. It's hard without him." She buried her head in a pillow.

Susan helped Bree up and gave her a hug. "I know you do. But Karl would want you to move on, Bree. He wouldn't want you like this. Be happy. Karl left you with that baby, and you need to take care of him or her. You need to start moving on. I know you loved it, but it's time."

A little while later, Bree was at the lawyer's office. Her and Orson's divorce was finalized less than ten minutes later. "Congratulations and good luck with the baby," Orson told his ex-wife. He wasn't bitter about anything. He was happy for her.

"Thank you. Good luck with whatever is it you're going to do." Bree replied. She leaned down and hugged her ex-husband as best as she could. It was pretty awkward.

After they left, Susan drove Bree to the cemetery. "I want you to say good-bye to Karl. Talk to him. Tell him what you need to."

Bree walked over to Karl's burial site and began to talk to him. She told him all of the things she had been holding inside of her for months.

A few days later, Bree had a doctor's appointment. Lynette (and Peyton) drove her to the appointment. Bree could probably take herself, but she had very overprotective friends who wouldn't let her go alone. Susan was working and couldn't go.

"Are the baby and I okay?" questioned a worried Bree. She couldn't help but worry at every single appointment.

"The baby is fine. I'm worried about you, however. Your blood pressure is a little high and that's worrying me. It's probably nothing, but I want you to be careful. If this doesn't go down, I may have to put you on bed rest."

Bree returned home and cried over what she perceived as a failure. The high blood pressure wasn't her fault, but she felt like it was.

Lynette calmed her down, and then left to go home. She had to make dinner for Tom and the rest of the family.

It was only going to get worse for Bree, however.

The next few months weren't going to go well.


	5. Chapter 5

**Warning: **Slightly graphic birth this chapter!

* * *

In Bree's seventh month of pregnancy, her high blood pressure finally caught up to it. It had been plaguing her for months, but something changed this time around.

She was having fun at a party held by Bob and Lee, talking to Tom when a sharp pain ran across her stomach. "You okay?" questioned a worried Tom. He was really overprotective of her, especially considering what had happened to Lynette during her pregnancy.

"I'm not sure," Bree answered. This didn't feel like Braxton-Hicks contractions. She was suddenly terrified.

"We'll take you to the hospital just in case. It may be something, it may not be. But we're going to be careful." Tom grabbed Bree's arm and led her over to Lynette.

Susan and Mike agreed to watch over Peyton until they knew for sure what was happening, but made Lynette promise to call them if anything was wrong.

"Bree, you're in premature labor. We're going to have to try and stop it," the emergency room doctor informed her a little while later.

She couldn't believe it. Bree had been so careful for the past several months. She had tried her best to relax and it was all for nothing. What if something happened to the baby? "What happens if you can't stop my labor?"

"Then the baby will be rushed to the NICU. We'll provide the best care that we can," the doctor answered.

"I'll call Susan," Lynette decided. Everyone would want to be here for Bree. She needed their support right now.

Within half an hour, all of Bree's friends were at the hospital were at the hospital for support. Susan refused to leave Bree's side. She was the most supportive out of anything. In fact, Bree had asked her to go with into the delivery room a few months earlier, and Susan had told her yes.

"I hope they're both okay," a worried Julie said to Gaby. She was freaking out about Bree and her unborn half-sibling.

"They will be," Gaby assured her. She hugged Julie, and then returned to one of the uncomfortable chairs.

"We'll take care of both of them if something happens," Carlos decided. The group had grown closer in the past few months.

The friends waited at the hospital for hours to hear news on Bree and the baby. They weren't about to go anywhere. Tom had taken Peyton, MJ, and the Solis kids home a little while before, and was currently watching all of them. They didn't need to be at the hospital.

Around 2:30 in the morning, Susan entered the waiting room. "It's okay for now. The labor has been stopped, but they're keeping her for observation. They don't know when Bree will leave, but there will be certain restrictions after she's discharged." She was relieved now, although still terrified something else would go wrong.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "We'll come back in the morning. It's late," Lynette said. She had a baby at home who'd probably be waking up relatively soon.

"I'm going to stay here. Bree needs me," Susan told Mike. She wasn't about to leave Bree alone right now. That would be cruel.

"I understand. I'll see you later." Mike kissed his wife and followed the group out of the hospital. He'd probably come back with everyone else.

Bree was discharged two days later, but told to remain on bed rest. That left going home out of the question, so Susan and Mike offered to let her stay with them.

However, Andrew and Alex decided to temporarily move in with her. Alex was a doctor, and would be able to take care of her in an emergency.

"Thank you so much for taking care of me," Bree told Andrew once they got home and she was in bed. Susan was going to come by every day to help her out a little bit, although Andrew and Alex were doing everything else.

"You don't have to thank me. We like helping you out," Andrew assured his mother. He wasn't about to leave her alone now.

Bree turned on the TV and settled in to get comfortable. She was only allowed up to go to the bathroom and get a shower. This was going to drive her nuts, but Bree was okay with it. She wanted the baby to be healthy, and if this how they were going to do it, then she'd stay in bed for as long as she needed to.

Bree had a lot of help for the next two months. She stayed on bed rest and relaxed, for the baby. Bree tried to think of names, but had a hard time coming up with them. She decided to wait until it was time for delivery to name the baby.

A week before her due date, Bree's doctor told her that her bed rest was finished with. Now that she was this close to delivery, she could actually be on her feet again. Becoming active again would probably kick-start the labor.

"I can't believe I'm this close to having another baby," Bree told Susan when she waddled over to the Delfinos' house one day. The nursery was ready for Baby Mayer. Just yesterday, Bree had gone back to her maiden name of Mason. She didn't want to be known by her married last names anymore. She was going to be single for awhile.

"I felt that way with both Julie and MJ." Susan smiled at her. She couldn't wait to meet Bree and Karl's baby. She, like Bree, just wished Karl was still around to meet the baby, though.

"I still don't have any names, but that's okay. I'll think of one after he or she is born." Bree had some ideas, but had no clue what to do. It was odd for her to be able to pick out a name on her own. Rex had helped her choose Danielle and Andrew's names.

Bree returned home around 8:00. She was exhausted and needed to sleep. This pregnancy was taking a lot out of her.

She woke up around 2:00AM to get something to eat, but noticed something was up. Bree got her answer when a contraction tore through her body. Her knees buckled and she would have collapsed if she hadn't grabbed onto a chair. Bree found her cell phone and called Susan.

Half an hour later, the Delfinos and Bree were on their way to the hospital. They didn't contact anyone else since it was still really early.

"I'm not getting an epidural," Bree declared later in the morning. She was determined to have a natural childbirth.

"Good for you." Susan was proud of Bree for having a natural childbirth. She wasn't sure she'd be able to do that at fifty-three.

Around 11:00AM, the doctor came in. "Congratulations, Ms. Mason. You're ten centimeters dilated. Time to get you into the delivery room."

Bree exchanged a panicked look with Susan. She was terrified now. "I'll be with you every step of the way," Susan promised. She followed Bree into the delivery room.

"Ow. This hurts. If Karl wasn't dead, I swear I'd break his hand right now!" Bree cried as she bore down and started to push.

Susan laughed despite herself, because she knew Bree would do it. Karl would definitely be regretting knocking up Bree by now if he was still alive. "Keep going, Bree. You're doing so well."

Bree leaned back as the contraction ended. As yet another contraction rippled through her body less than a minute later, she once again bore down and began pushing.

Feeling the baby move down inside of her was one of the worst feelings Bree had ever experienced. She hoped to never go through labor again. Bree had forgotten the pain of labor since she hadn't experienced it in forever. "Ow. I can't do this anymore," she sobbed.

"Yes, you can, Bree. You can do this. Push as hard as you can," Susan encouraged. She couldn't wait to meet the baby.

Bree whimpered as yet another contraction began, so she bore down one more time and pushed as hard as she could. She groaned in pain as the baby finally crowned. "I'm tired," she complained.

"I know you're tired, Miss Mason, but you're almost done. A few more pushes and this baby will be out," the doctor told her.

"Shut up!" Bree groaned when another contraction started to build up. She bore down one more time and pushed.

Bree breathed a sigh of relief when the baby finally exited her body. "Congratulations, Miss Mason. You have a daughter," the doctor informed her as the newborn was cleaned up and started to cry.

A few seconds later, Bree's daughter was handed to her. "Hello, beautiful. I'm your mommy. This is Aunt Susan. I love you so much." Bree sniffled and smiled at her friend. She was a mommy again. This was so surreal.

Three hours later, Andrew, Danielle, Julie, and Evan were allowed into the room to see the still unnamed newborn. "I'm proud of you, Mom," Andrew told her.

Bree smiled. "Thank you, Andrew." She couldn't stop staring at her new daughter. She was so beautiful, and looked like Karl.

Soon enough, everyone filed out of the hospital and returned home. Bree was left alone with her daughter for so much. She told the baby all about Karl.

Three weeks later, Bree took the baby to visit Karl at the cemetery. She decided that the baby was old enough to be out on a trip.

"Karl, I'd like you to meet your daughter. Her name is Caroline Rebecca Mayer. I call her Carly. She's so beautiful. I would have loved for you to meet her. We'd be really happy right now, Karl. I told Carly all about you. I miss you, and I love you. I love her, too. I know you would have, too. I'll bring Carly back to visit you."

Bree got up from the chair with Carly in her arms and followed Susan and Mike out of the cemetery. They had offered to take her to visit Karl.

Bree and Carly had so much to look forward to together, but they had the support of their friends and family.

They would never be alone.


	6. Epilogue

Seventy-six year old Bree Mason smiled as she watched her daughter laugh at a joke being told by Andrew. By this time tomorrow afternoon, her youngest daughter would be a married woman. Bree couldn't believe it. Carly was growing up so fast.

Raising her daughter by herself had presented some challenges, but they had been okay. Carly had grown up around a lot of people who loved her. Mike, Carlos, and Tom tried to do all the things with her that Karl would have wanted to do.

"Mom, what are you thinking about?" Andrew questioned. He was walking Carly down the aisle tomorrow. It wasn't a surprise, considering he had always spoiled his younger sister.

"Nothing. Just thinking that Karl would want to be here," Bree murmured. She missed Karl sometimes. She had been in one relationship after Karl's death. Bree had met Nathan Lowrea when Carly was three. The relationship had only lasted for a year. Nobody compared to Karl in her eyes. He had been the love of her life.

"Mom, I know he's proud of Carly. He'll be watching tomorrow." Andrew was sure of that. Karl would have adored Carly.

Bree got up from her chair and walked over to Carly. "Hey, Mom. How are you doing?" Carly worried about her mother. She couldn't help it.

"I'm good. How are you?" Bree was thrilled that her daughter was going to get married tomorrow. She couldn't wait for more grandchildren. Andrew and Danielle had given her five, but Bree wouldn't mind more.

"Great. Nervous, though." Carly couldn't wait to marry Jack, but that didn't mean she wasn't terrified. Her whole life was about to change.

"Completely understandable," commented matron-of-honor Julie as she walked past her half-sister and Bree.

"Your nerves will be even worse tomorrow," warned Danielle from her seat. She was just finishing up eating.

"Your dad would be so proud of you, Caroline." Bree hugged her youngest daughter and kissed the top of her head.

Carly smiled tearfully. "Thanks, Mom. I wish Daddy could be here." She had never met her father, but Carly wished he had survived. He seemed like a great man, despite his flaws.

"I can't believe you're getting married tomorrow!" squealed recently arrived guest and bridesmaid, Peyton Scavo.

"Me neither!' Carly squealed back. She went off with her best friend to have a conversation. Bree laughed and went back to her seat.

"It's so hard to believe. The youngest kid in the group is finally getting married," Lynette commented. The entire group had pitched in to help Bree raise Carly, and they thought of her as their own.

"I'm happy for her," Tom said. He couldn't wait to watch her get married.

"You got completely overprotective when Carly announced her engagement," Gaby pointed out. She didn't mention that she had cried upon hearing the news.

"That's true, but I didn't want it getting out," Tom hissed. Lynette stifled a laugh.

The next morning, Carly and Bree went to go visit Karl at the cemetery. It was a tradition before something important happened. Bree loved taking Carly with her.

"Hi, Daddy. I'm getting married today. I wish you could be here. You would have really liked Jack. I'm sorry you can't walk me down the aisle. I'll be by to visit you again soon. I love you, Daddy." Carly tearfully smiled at the gravestone and walked away with her mother.

Karl Mayer had given her Carly, and Bree would always be grateful to him for that. Carly was Karl's last surprise, and Bree would love him for that forever.

Bree and Karl had been soul mates, and together, they had created an amazing woman.


End file.
